What Happened in The West?

The NHL is one of the best leagues in sport because of its competitiveness come playoff time and this year has been no different. The Eastern conference has already had three series go to seven games in the first round and neither has been won yet in round two. The West has seen all their series go by quickly and the remaining two teams, the Phoenix Coyotes and the LA Kings, were not picked to go this far. However, a deeper look into their rosters reveals that these two teams should not be as surprising as they are and that getting this far is well deserved. From the net out, Phoenix and LA have dominated the playoffs and made short work of their opponents in the process. This blog post will look into what has made both teams successful as they get ready to face each other next round. 

The biggest reason both Phoenix and LA got this far in the playoffs has been their goaltending Mike Smith and John Quick are giving their teams a chance to win every night and are frustrating opponents with their poise and determination. LA was the second worst goal scoring team in the regular season but with Quick in net they were able to win games by scoring only one or two goals. That has transferred to the playoffs too with LA's most lopsided win being a 5-2 victory against St. Louis. Quick currently has a .949 save percentage and a 1.55 goals against average which lead the league, along with an 8-1 record through two rounds. But Smith isn't too far behind with a .948 save percentage and a 1.77 goals against, numbers that are in the top five in both categories. Smith also has two shutouts in his eleven games and 8-3 record. These goalies have quickly become both the face of their franchise and early favourites for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP, but how will they fair against each other. Before the third round begins I will have my selection for the winner, but right now I feel that one of these goalies will need to cave under the pressure in order for his team to lose. I don't know if it will be Quick or Smith that does but I predict it will happen just like it did to Brian Elliott and Pekka Rinne in the second round. If not, every game between LA and Phoenix could go to overtime tied 0-0 and both teams will be completely exhausted for the Stanley Cup Final if they win.  

Of course goaltending is only part of the equation in a winning team and both Phoenix and LA have had significant contributions from skaters as well. Both teams have forwards who are stepping up in big ways and defensemen who are shutting down opponents top lines while providing their own offence. 

The most important forward for the Kings has been Captain Dustin Brown. Brown plays a hardnosed game, similar to Brad Marchand or David Backes, but this playoff he has emerged as an offensive threat too. With six goals in nine games, including two shorthanded and two in their series clinching win against St. Louis. But his claim to fame has been hitting and fore checking and that has been very apparent too including big hits on Henrik Sedin and David Backes. LA has also gotten significant contributions from their fourth line of Dwight King, Jordan Nolan and Jarret Stoll, each of them scoring big goals in big games and throwing their weight around against other teams’ top lines. On the defensive side, Willie Mitchell and Drew Doughty have returned to their former selves with Doughty providing offence and Mitchell keeping goals out. Doughty has six points in the Kings nine games and also a rating of +7. Mitchell has only two points and a rating of +6 but has been a big part of the King's penalty kill which is clicking at 92%. All of these players have helped Jonathan Quick win games for the Kings and are a big reason they are in round three. 

On Phoenix's side, their own captain Shane Doan has savoured the playoff opportunity and taken full advantage. Doan has six points so far but is also +5 and leads the team with 35 shots on goal in their eleven games. Another forward taking a big lead on the Coyotes has been Mikkel Boedker, who at age 22 still has managed seven points, including two overtime goals. Boedker has especially clicked with Antoine Vermette, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Columbus and now leads the Coyotes with nine points. Both of these young players will be a big part of the Coyotes fortunes in the remainder of this playoff and for many years to come. On the defensive side, Keith Yandle and Rostislav Klesla have been big contributors. Both have seven points, which is expected from Yandle but surprising from Klesla. After only scoring three goals all season, Klesla already has two in the playoffs and doesn't appear to be slowing down. Yandle's seven assists are tied for tied for third in the league and he leads the team with a +6 rating. Without playing many national games or games against East coast teams, the Coyotes depth is not as well known. But these playoffs are giving their star players a chance to show their skills and they are doing a good job at it. 

Both Phoenix and LA deserve to have gotten this far in the playoffs, as seen from their performances above. The fact that there is a surprise in the media is mostly because of the media's previous thoughts on these teams. I am guilty of this too though. Having seen both of these teams play in their home barns in the past few years, at a time when neither was competitive, I have a preconceived notion formed that they should not be so dominant. But as I mentioned above, the distance between all the teams is what makes the NHL the most exciting league in sport and the most unpredictable. I won't offer a formal prediction now and I'm actually not even sure if I could. I can, however, guarantee that this will be an exciting series. 

As always, you can comment on this post below or send your thoughts in an email to josh@jbenny.com. I can be found on twitter at @jbenny15 and you can read my other writing on my website, www.jbenny.com.